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TrailheaDX or Dreamforce: Which is better for Developers?

As a platform development services company, we value hard work, dedication, passion and really honing in on the complexities of building out these environments. This means that our developers are thoroughly examining the structure of these platforms from a very granular level and building a foundation that will thoroughly support the development process. Oktana’s talented team of developers and designers truly embody these core qualities, however, we know that collaboration and eagerness to share and learn are what also makes us grow as a company.

TrailheaDX vs. Dreamforce

This starts with attending conferences and events that serve as a sounding board for like-minded technology professionals to bounce ideas around and come up with innovative and tech-forward strategies for development services. One such event is TrailheadDX; a Salesforce conference that welcomes tech companies from all over the world to attend and share best practices for the tech industry, especially with regard to the Salesforce platform.

We recently had the pleasure of attending this year’s TrailheaDX conference in San Francisco for the first time ever! We were pleasantly surprised by the conference, specifically with how much it focuses more on platform development, which is what we here at Oktana marvel in. On a much smaller scale than Dreamforce, TrailheaDX allows companies like ours to really shine and network with individuals who share these similar interests.

TrailheaDX provides a more intimate approach to presenting subject matter panels for topics like automation processes, cloud environment optimization, omnichannel customer environments and panels for just overall improving platform efficiency. Furthermore, since its a smaller venue there’s more face time with product managers, engineering team leads and industry professionals to really share and discuss industry trends. This is also a big plus because you have direct access to decision makers which can expedite future partnerships.

With keynote speeches from Salesforce Chairman & CEO, Marc Benioff, to Star Wars actor, Mark Hamill, we found that TrailheaDX still carried the same weight and star power as Dreamforce, but it caters more to developers which was especially exciting for Oktana. We think it’s tailored specifically for developers and that if you’re a high-level developer you’ll definitely benefit from attending the conference, so we encourage those who specialize in platform development to attend TrailheaDX as well as Dreamforce!

4 Reasons Git is One Tool to Rule Them All

Here at Oktana, we focus on quality to ensure the applications we develop are secure, functional and scalable.

What is Git?

What is Git, you may ask? Git is an open source version control system used to manage pertinent files and company tracking history, all while coding in a secure environment.

Need further clarity? Let’s provide a little more context. In the early years of software development, engineers feared the possibility of losing their data and progress so they would record paper copies of source code throughout stages of development. Yep, that happened.

Over time, programs were eventually stored in computer hard drives, however, engineers were still cautious and thought further security measures needed to be instated. To address this issue, a lock system was created to protect data which came to be called Source Code Control System (SCCS). To put it simply, if one developer is editing a file, no other personnel can access the file.

As with anything involved with computer software, the next evolution of version control systems elevated to the cloud. There were many contenders but the most widely known was Subversion (SVN). SVN was centralized in one place and was the only source of all truth. The idea here was that if engineers still had to manage a locking file system, at least they could develop multiple versions of those files and create branches to track new versions of files without changing or rewriting the previous versions.

Everyone that had worked with SVN loves Git. It was the evolution of version control giving us the same power of the first paper copies, where you can add side notes in a file, have totally different stories, and backups but now we’re saving trees! Also, it’s in the cloud so it can be accessed from everywhere.

And thus, history was changed, or at least, a version of it.

Now that we have more of a background on Git, let’s explore the features a bit more:

Spread and conquer

Remember those single source of truth days? Well those are over now! Anyone who has a copy of the Git repository has access to the history log with all file versions and updates. So, if a meteorite were to crash the server, nothing would be lost because several engineers still have repositories that reflect the same information.

Web dependency isn’t independence

In the past, all the tracking was done in the remote repository, you needed to have an internet connection and, of course, to the repository itself. Now you can track everything locally where changes and commits are securely saved on your computer while you enjoy the hills until you return to civilization to deploy

Undo mistakes, look like a pro

Let’s face it, we all make mistakes. But don’t worry, in any situation, Git counts with an appropriate command. It doesn’t matter if you need to revert a commit or fix it because you forgot to add a file, you won’t need a new change in your application history.

Work in your own style

Git counts with a flexibility other version control systems do not possess, so, obviously, there are plenty of books that provide us with information on the right way to work with Git. However, there are as many books as teams. Every project and every developer has their own developing needs, and this is why Git is popular; it’s very flexible, adaptable, and really fosters team collaboration.

Join us at TrailheaDX!

Calling out all tech enthusiasts and professionals! We are excited to announce that Oktana will be at the 2018 TrailheaDX conference, meeting and engaging with industry professionals to explore new trends on the Salesforce platform. We here at Oktana are always looking for opportunities to improve our craft, expand our presence with our partners and customers, learn more about technology trends and ultimately to collaborate with the best and the brightest in our industry. TrailheaDX is the perfect outlet for us to network, share and receive best practices and just overall have a good time in the process.

Salesforce’s TrailheaDX encourages companies of all sizes and tech-minded individuals to “blaze their trail” to learn, connect, have fun and give back. It’s a 2-day conference where companies can get everything they need to build and develop customer applications that people can really engage with. Salesforce product experts share the best tips and strategies for developers such as clicks, programming languages and coding, hosting services, certifications, and much more! The conference also encourages attendees to share stories amongst other developers, admins, and companies from all over the globe. TrailheaDX wants those who attend to embark on a quest to win prizes and help celebrate the Ohana with an enormous party! TDX will be hosting 150+ technical sessions, trails for both developers and admins, and the opportunity to get hands-on with the latest Salesforce product updates.

We couldn’t be more ecstatic to attend TrailheaDX this year to showcase all of the amazing things we’ve accomplished in 2017 and all of the innovative projects we’re working on in 2018! We’re blazing a trail full of amazing projects and can’t wait to present some of them this year. We’re super stoked to attend this year and see what all of the amazing Salesforce partners have been up to, hope to see you there!

Key Advantages of React Native

Our first Oktana workshop of the year gave us some amazing tools on how to begin our journey through React Native. We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to develop top-notch functionalities and React Native is the next best thing. Similar to our React Native workshop, we will walk you through the four key advantages of this outstanding framework and how it is an awesome tool for developing optimal solutions with JavaScript.

But, first things first, what exactly is React Native? React Native is the next generation of React – a JavaScript code library developed by Facebook and Instagram, released in 2013. It enables users to natively develop rendering applications for both Android and iOS operating systems.

Now that we know a little more about the framework, let’s jump into the 4 key advantages of React Native:

JavaScript

According to Stack Overflow, more than 55% of developers use this language, so being JavaScript one of the fastest and most -used programming languages, combined with the community usage and the incredible amount of documentation available, make React Native one of the most developer-friendly frameworks out there.

Dynamics

One of the most amazing things about React native is how it makes you think of the moments where you want to go from wireframes to something real, tangible. As you gain experience, you will easily start to notice the “general minimal state” which makes your app work, and quickly notice the way it needs to change, dividing them into components, in order to form a more complex functionality. This way, something that seemed like a huge endeavor, you can resolve in no time.

It’s all native

We must definitely highlight that React Native’s building blocks are reusable “native components” that enable developers to build more native-like UI/UX apps as opposed to typical hybrid frameworks that can’t be archived. This way, the app will have the speed, look, and functionality of a native mobile app.

Longevity

React is fairly new but it is certainly on an incline for demand. It was first released at the Hackathon to address technical issues for the developers’ community. It eventually transitioned into React Native, a framework created specifically for this initiative. Furthermore, React is heavily supported by the social media giant Facebook, which has made a solid investment in developing its technology.

In conclusion, React Native provides great functionality for developers and users. It enables developers to easily and quickly build a fast and intuitive mobile app working for both Android and iOS. Functioning on several different operating systems, it pays homage to their motto, “learn once, write anywhere.”

Honoring Women’s History Month: Women in Technology

Women’s History Month is an important cornerstone in our society, as it embraces the positive contributions women all over the world have made and continue to make throughout history. However, although we have institutions like this in place, the fight for a more inclusive and diverse society is not over, especially for women in technology.

Women in technology

As a global company with office locations in the U.S. and Latin America, we recognize the importance of tackling gender injustices that still affect us. For example, the average woman in America makes 78 cents for every dollar a man makes. Similarly, women represent 45.4% of the workforce in Uruguay, where our main office is based. Women are steadily increasing in the global workforce but there are industries that haven’t made enough of an effort to establish a more well-rounded workplace environment.

The tech industry is one such industry that historically hasn’t been very progressive in terms of gender equality and we see much disparity that still continues to dominate the field today. A 2016 U.S. study showed that female employees in America made up less than one-fifth of the technology industry. What more? Women were also reported as having been paid only 79% of the median value of what their male counterparts had been compensated. Studies also show that in Latin America, gender stereotypes continue to stigmatize women joining the tech force.

Although we see these trends occurring in the workforce, perhaps the root of these issues begin with the educational systems within our nations. Many young women in universities decide against studying a field within technology. Take for example how in America, only 18% of Computer Science college graduates are women. Furthermore, Latin American culture perpetuates the belief that careers in technology are more male-oriented, which is why women in Latin America decide not to study technology fields in college.

These statistics are clear indications that it’s now more important than ever that we stay laser-focused on our goal to achieve universal gender equality and to never let our efforts waver in the process. Amidst these obstacles, more organizations and movements are formed every day to generate equal rights for women.

Girls in Tech (global non-profit organization)

Girls in Tech is a global non-profit that was formed to engage, educate and empower women to study and pursue careers in technology. Girls Who Code is another organization with the mission of closing the gender gap for women in technology and encouraging and fostering their involvement in the industry. Forming groups like these and integrating curriculums in schools early on will instill a more solid foundation for women to spark an interest and ultimately build a career in technology.

At Oktana, we seek out the brightest minds and the most innovative spirits to join our team, creating a family of outstanding dreamers regardless of gender. This is also why we choose to partner with others that share our same measure of ethical standards. Salesforce is a great example that holds true to the values we represent by also recognizing women as equals in their workforce.

To place our stamp on the women in technology movement, we’re hosting an open house event in our Uruguay office for women in universities to see first hand what it’s like to work for a technology company. The goal of this event is to showcase the talented and passionate women in our company as well as present the possibilities and advantages that come along with pursuing a career in our field.

We need to persevere and continue to break down the perpetuating barriers of gender stereotyping. This is why our company promotes values of self-expression, individuality, and inclusiveness – making our Oktana team members ambassadors for gender equality. We still have a long way to go but as long as we keep our morals intact, we’re confident that we’ll build a brighter future that encompasses unity, collaboration, and ethicality. Today, we celebrate Women’s History Month to commemorate the journey on which women have fought for justice and to support the onward path for women to make their mark, especially women in technology.

At Oktana, our team is growing fast, check our current open positions!

5 Reasons Why We Think You Should Join Us At Dreamforce 2017

Salesforce’s annual conference, Dreamforce, takes off in San Francisco and it gets bigger and better every year. We’re extremely excited to announce that Oktana will be attending this coming November again for the four-day event and we can’t wait to share what we’ve been up to!

While we’re super stoked and eager to plan our Dreamforce 2017 adventure, many of you are probably asking: “What’s in it for me?”

Dreamforce conference

Do you ask what exactly is all of the big hype around Dreamforce? It’s just a tech conference, so why is it important for people outside of the tech industry?

1. Well, to start off, Dreamforce isn’t just any kind of annual tech conference. Sure, it’s in San Francisco (aka the hub for any kind of high-tech event or news), but over every other tech event, Dreamforce is the largest software conference in the world. This means that there are more people and more opportunities related to software and innovation here than at any other conference in the world. That, itself, speaks volumes.

2. In today’s world, almost everything is run by technology. Additionally, the pace of technological revolution is at its record high, and sometimes, it can be difficult to keep up with. This conference is here exactly to help bridge that gap. There are over 2000 learning sessions and learning programs at Dreamforce for everyone that teach attendees the latest Salesforce products and how to utilize them to the furthest potential. This is great for those with no tech background because, at the end of the day, we all want our businesses to be successful and absorbing all of this knowledge is the best way to make that happen.

3. With it being the biggest software conference in the world, people from all over the globe are attracted to this event. All types of executives and creatives come to see what’s offered, making Dreamforce the perfect opportunity to network. People aren’t just here to learn about Salesforce and its products, people also come to meet more folks! The number of doors that Dreamforce can open for a person is countless.

4. With so much intelligence packed into a four-day Salesforce conference, there will be so many ideas sparking from every corner! Whether it’s a new app possibility or a solution to a consistent issue, Dreamforce attendees can discuss these thoughts with industry leaders already present at the conference to make these ideas a reality.

5. Technology has constantly been changing the way we live on a global level. In the hospital, the classroom, or even the laboratory, the creation of innovation has helped humanity reach levels of success like no other. Salesforce supports this ideology and continues to make Dreamforce an event of giving back. There are plenty of ways to contribute to the community since the conference partners with many organizations such as (RED), Girls Who Code, and Vetforce. Dreamforce wants to help society and give to those that need it, and by attending, it’s giving that much more support to an initiative to improve our world.

Bottom line: Dreamforce is THE event to go to for the year; no matter what, there’s always something to be taken away from it. Oktana is honored to be part of this event, and we look forward to hopefully seeing you there!

Read more about Oktana services and solutions.

How Our New App, Tok, Can Improve Business Communication

If you work in a large organization or collaborate with multiple teams within your department, then you know how important it is to make sure everyone is on the same page with communication. Not just dialogue, but all methods of effective and most importantly, efficient communication.

As technology has become increasingly innovative, we’re always finding better ways to manage the mutual response. Phone calls can get annoying, it’s hard sometimes to track down the person you want to speak to in person, emails take too much time with finding the person’s email and then adding a title and then writing your message….and then, you have chat.

Chat is the best way to send a quick message and it’s not time-consuming nor complicated. There are tons of chat apps you can use, but our chat app, Tok, is probably one of the best, and currently, it’s the only instant messaging client that runs on Salesforce for free!

Oktana’s Tok team created an app that we began using at our company a few months ago.

Not only has the app improved internal communication for us, but it has created a work environment where we’re able to have more time on building quality work, rather than letting miscommunication take over our day.

From our experience of creating it and now using it, here are a few ways Tok can also help your business communication:

Group Messaging Features

With general chat applications such as iMessage, Skype, Facebook Messenger, etc., you can send messages to people quickly. The issue with this is there are too many mediums of chatting and sometimes, it can get difficult backtracking and remembering which method you used to reach colleagues. With Tok, your entire organization is in one place and if you need to reach out to more than one person, you can quickly set up a group message. No more searching for a colleague’s email or Facebook name!

Tok’s Built-In TokBot

To make things more efficient for you, our team has built a new TokBot within the app itself. Just send a message to TokBot and he’ll grab stored messages that you’re looking for, help you make a group chat quickly, and even set up a poll for others to vote on such as where to eat for lunch for the day! When it’s crunch time, TokBot can ease some of the stress and he’s always there to help you 24/7.

Mobile/Desktop/Browser Interface

Picture yourself during your lunch hour eating a salad at the nearby cafe. You have your phone on you just in case your boss calls, but the reality is he decides to message you on your chat app, instead. Unfortunately, you won’t see this message on your until you return from your lunch, and who knows, at that point, he may not even need you anymore. With Tok, we’ve set up a desktop version, a mobile version, and a browser interface! It’s all about keeping you connected, no matter where you are and with so many different ways you can access Tok, you’ll never miss an important deadline or reminder.

Salesforce Shield Protection

Another concern that came up when using the app was privacy and security for messages. There may be times when you have to give confidential info to a supervisor or a colleague and by texting them the info or sending it through Gchat, the risk of that information getting hacked is SUPER HIGH. With Tok’s browser interface, the app is set up inside Salesforce, so there’s an extra layer of security with Salesforce Shield.

To bring it all together, the value that Tok can bring to your workplace would maximize your time with work and get business taken care of. Time is of the essence so if there’s an option out there that can give you some more of your time back, why not take advantage??

Install Tok from the AppExchange and also check out the Tok page at this site!

See how your company’s communication gets better! Let us know of any thoughts or ways the app helped you, and if you have any suggestions, we’re open to ideas since we’re constantly updating Tok with cooler features!

Our Take On Salesforce’s New, Einstein Analytics

The Salesforce platform has always been about helping you manage your business in a way that can leverage your growth. Whether it’s from a sales, marketing or even services perspective, understanding the analytics behind what we’re doing currently and how we can make it better is what Salesforce’s new Einstein Analytics is all about!

Salesforce Einstein Analytics

Thousands of Salesforce users are already noting data for performance to get a better understanding of their organization’s results. What’s great about Einstein Analytics is that it isn’t changing the way we strategize our data, instead it’s adding an extra layer of AI to our analytical productivity by automatically giving CRM insight and recommendations so we can make a better, informed decisions.

Einstein Analytics includes an entire portfolio of analytics-related apps exposing information even further for us, such as Sales Analytics, Service Analytics, and B2B Marketing Analytics.

GM of Salesforce Analytics, Ketan Karkhanis, states:

“With Einstein Analytics, every CRM user can now see not only what happened in their business, but why it happened and what to do about it, without requiring a team of data science experts.”

For Oktana, this new approach to analytics is something we see as extremely noteworthy. The new layer of AI in analytics, we believe, would help users tremendously with learning what exactly customers are looking for and give users the exact feedback needed to move up in the development process.

Einstein Analytics, in our perspective, brings users closer to reaching goals for growth. Rather than making decisions on assumptions, the analytics portfolio will expose raw data to help make decisions based on real numbers. Instead of creating campaigns believed to be great for exposure and branding, Einstein Analytics would assist with focusing on creating campaigns that customers would actually want to see.

It’s important for companies, including us, to ensure that customers are getting a great experience and if there’s an option available to link that to bringing value, such as Einstein Analytics, then we would like to take the opportunity to learn as much as we can to benefit from this!

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